Day Four is the new Day Three

Because it's supposed to be day three when the aches and pains hit. But day three was fast - we got good speed over long distance and were generally problem free. Or so we thought. Something bad was happening inside Rauls ankles and today they flared up bigtime. We've had to go a lot slower, and stop sooner so as not to exaserbate (hopefully) whatever it is that's gone wrong.

German bike provision is not so different to the uk - patchy, very much secondary to the car. We went many km through Essen. Lots of cars and big roads and traffic lights that take a lifetime to go green. All the messing about slowed us down even more.

Tonight we are in a campsite that the owner cheerfully told us is on a flood plain - it's right by a river. Just got back from a walk around the very traditional town centre - lots of squares full of tables and wicker chairs for the many (by this time, closed) cafes and rickety old part timber buildings.

Location:Am Wallbaum,Hattingen,Germany